Authenticating Subcultural Identities

Abstract

This article discusses the hybrid language practices of presenters of hip-hop and reggae programs in Flemish niche media. A qualitative linguistic analysis shows that different varieties of English are employed depending on the particular subcultural affiliation of these programs. In-depth interviews with presenters reveal that in using African American and Jamaican English, they authenticate their subcultural membership vis-à-vis their listeners. It is concluded that by mixing these varieties with standard American English and Dutch, presenters exemplify an adherence to a “hybrid authenticity,” in which the global (subcultural) and the local are creatively fused.